


Sakamoto vs. Takamaki

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: AFR Universe, Gen, Jean Takamaki, Killian MacPherson, Natsumi Sakamoto, Yoshio Sakamoto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 11:02:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15484335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: Ryuji's youngest child likes to bully Ann's son. The boy finds a way to fight back.





	Sakamoto vs. Takamaki

“NOOOOOOOO!”

Jean huffed and puffed as he darted down the stairs of his home, moving as fast as his little legs would take him.

“GET BACK HERE, SISSY BOY!”

Natsumi chased after Jean, climbing on top of the railing by the stairs and sliding down the banister.

“I DON’T WANNA WRESTLE!” Jean yelled.

“IT’S THE ONLY WAY YOU’LL GET STRONGER!”

As Natsumi and Jean both reached the bottom of the stairs, Natsumi launched herself from the railing as if it were a top rope, attempting to aim her body to crash down on top of her fellow five-year-old. She missed by a significant margin, faceplanting onto the floor as Jean eluded her, but she quickly sprang to her feet and continued the chase as Jean scurried into the dining room.

Inside said dining room, a very different scene was playing out. While putting Jean and Natsumi together had resulted in some not-unexpected chaos, their parents were holding a civil discussion over tea and looking like the picture of pleasantry, even Ryuji.

“So it sounds like he’s a good dude” Ryuji said.

“Sure is!” Ann nodded enthusiastically. “He even stays behind after shoots to help the crew clean up! Sometimes I feel kind of guilty for not doing that myself, but at the end of the day I just wanna get back to my family, you know?“

“And we appreciate it” Shiho said. “Also you’re terrible at cleaning and would probably make things worse.”

“That’s not true!”

“Dude, seriously?” Ryuji smirked at Ann. “You never had classroom duty because you always made things a bigger mess.”

“That was in the past!” Ann yelled.

“And the present” Shiho said.

“Yeah.” Ryuji snickered. “And prolly the fut-“

“HEEEELLLLLP!”

Jean burst into the room, making a beeline for Shiho.

“Jean!” Shiho shot out of her chair on instinct at the distressed cry of her son. “What’s the matter!?”

“It’s Natsumi-Chan!” Jean took cover behind Shiho as Natsumi entered the room. “She’s crazy!”

“There you are, coward!” Natsumi pointed at Jean angrily. “There’s nowhere left to run! It’s wrestlin’ time!”

“Mama, help me!” Jean grabbed onto one of Shiho’s legs with all his might.

“You can’t ask a grown-up to fight for you, you cheater!” Natsumi looked up at Shiho, eyes narrowing. “Unless… You’re makin’ this into a tag team match!” Natsumi turned to Ryuji with an eager look in her eyes. “C’mon, Daddy! Let’s show ‘em what we’re made of!”

“I don’t think so” Ryuji said.

“You’re right! A dad fightin’ a mom wouldn’t be fair.” Natsumi looked at Hifumi hopefully. “C’mon, Mommy! Let’s show ‘em-“

“Natsumi, that’s enough” Hifumi said sternly. “Just because you want to wrestle Jean-Kun doesn’t mean he has to wrestle you. We’re all here to have a nice afternoon with our friends, not start a grudge match.”

“But all the games he likes to play are dumb!” Natsumi crossed her arms. “There’s no fightin’ or action or anything in ‘em!”

“I don’t like fighting.” Jean poked his head out from behind Shiho, suddenly emboldened by the grown-ups taking his side. “It’s no fun when people get hurt.”

“Well you’re gonna have to fight someday!” Natsumi turned her nose up. “That’s just the way the world is.”

The adults all looked at each other, hoping somebody would know the right thing to say. As responsible parents, they knew it was their job to refute Natsumi’s claim and tell the children that the world was safe. But they also knew from personal experience that they couldn’t really say that fighting was unavoidable. It wasn’t good to encourage small children to act violently, but while it wasn’t like Natsumi actually knew what she was talking about, the fact remained that she wasn’t completely off base either.

And then, of all people, Ann seemed to come to the answer first.

“Well, Natsumi-Chan’s half-right. The world can be dangerous sometimes.”

“See!?” Natsumi stared down Jean as she threw her arms out at Ann. “Your mom gets it!”

“But that doesn’t mean you HAVE to get into fights.” Ann gave Jean a thumbs up. “If you’re smart enough, you can find lots of ways to stay out of trouble, like how you came to us grown-ups when you didn’t wanna fight.”

“That’s right!” Jean finally came out from behind his mother’s legs, holding his head up high. “So long as an adult’s around, I don’t have to fight ever!”

“And what if an adult’s NOT around, genius?” Natsumi glared at Jean.

“Uh… Well…” Jean puffed up his chest. “I’ll just keep running ’til I escape!”

“Good answer” Ryuji said. “If you can’t beat a guy, there’s no shame in gettin’ outta there. I’ve seen a lot of dudes try to take on someone stronger and get their butts kicked ‘cuz they were bein’ dumb.”

“But what if he’s faster than you?” Natsumi asked.

“Then… Um…” Jean threw his hands in the air and turned away from Natsumi. “It doesn’t matter! It’s not like this is ever gonna happen anyway!”

* * *

“LOOK ALIVE, POINDEXTER!”

Jean knew he wasn’t nuts. From the moment he left Shujin that day, he could feel eyes on him. But not just any eyes. The same crazy eyes that he’d known all his life. His friends had told him there wasn’t anybody following him, but he knew better. And now, although his friends had left and couldn’t bear witness, being held in this full nelson in a Yongen-Jaya back alley, he still felt some measure of vindication. Natsumi Sakamoto HAD been following him. The only thing he couldn’t figure out is how a 15-year-old loudmouth with dyed bright blue hair had managed to stay out of his sight this entire time.

“Damn it, Natsumi, let me go!” Jean writhed as the girl kept her grip on him with her toned muscles, held so tight against her he could feel the reverberations of her maniacal chuckling shoot through his own body. “Did you seriously follow me all the way to Yongen from school for one of your sneak attacks!?”

“Nah, I’m here to see Aunt Futaba. She said she’d give me some old manga of hers if I helped her move some stuff.” Natsumi yawned as she applied a bit more pressure to Jean’s neck. “Gettin’ the jump on you’s just a bonus.”

“Well you’ve had your fun, now stop it!” Jean tried to run forward, but Natsumi was way out of his weight class and not budging. “I have to return these books to Dr. Takemi! If I keep them for too long, she won’t let me borrow anything else!”

“F’real?” Natsumi let go of one of Jean’s arms and grabbed his bag, a half-nelson being more than adequate to keep the boy held in place. She shook it around a bit and whistled. “This thing’s heavy. Are you seriously studyin’ entire medical textbooks for fun?”

“It’s not for fun, it’s for my future!” Jean grabbed the strap of his bag and pulled, only getting it back because Natsumi chose to let him have it.

“Dude, that’s nuts.” Natsumi finally let go of Jean. “We just started high school. It’s one thing to plan for the future, but you’re doin’ like, college-level stuff. I think you can chill.”

“Well excuse me for having higher ambitions than bullying people.” Jean rubbed his neck.

“Hey, I don’t bully people!” Natsumi grinned. “Just you!”

“Oh yeah?” Jean raised his eyebrow. “What about those delinquent girls you like to run around and beat people up with?”

“We’re not just attackin’ people, we go around fightin’ dudes who think it’s ok to cause trouble for others, especially girls they think won’t fight back. We’re pretty much superheroes!”

“You’re in a gang, Natsumi.”

“Whatever, nerd-boy.” Natsumi pushed past Jean and headed towards Sojiro’s house. “You have fun at the doctor’s. Try askin’ her when your balls’re finally gonna drop.”

* * *

“And we have arrived.”

Killian unlocked the car doors and looked back at Jean. Predictably, the boy’s nose was in yet another book he’d borrowed from Dr. Takemi, just as it had been all night, leading to the oversleeping situation that had Killian driving Jean to school at Ann’s request today.

“Do you need anything else, Jean-Kun?”

“Huh?” Jean looked up at Killian, realized the car had stopped, noticed Shujin Academy outside of the window, and shut the book he was reading. “No, I’m good. Thanks for the ride, Killian.”

“No thanks are necessary, Jean-Kun.” Killian held his head proudly. “It was the way Takamaki-San said I could be most helpful to her this morning, after all. Aside from picking up a list of items for a party she’s throwing this weekend.”

“Well, I hope everything goes smoothly.” Jean was trying his best to act normal as he got out of the car. On its own, hiding the fact that Ann was throwing a surprise party to celebrate Killian’s 10th anniversary as her assistant wasn’t too hard, but Ann didn’t make it easier by having the man pick up the supplies himself. It didn’t help that Killian was impossible to read as usual, so Jean had no idea if the man had put two and two together yet.

As Jean stepped out of the car, he looked past the school’s gate and saw a familiar blue-haired figure getting scolded by one of the teachers. He stopped himself before closing the car door.

“Say, Killian-San, can I ask you something?” Jean poked his head back into the car. “I’m dealing with a problem right now.”

“What is it, Jean-Kun?” Killian looked back at Jean.

“Did you ever have to deal with somebody who picked on you a lot when you were in school?”

“Oh yes.” Killian nodded emphatically. “As you are aware, Jean-Kun, I have always had some difficulty relating to others. As a schoolboy in Ireland, I was regularly accosted by a great number of bullies.”

“And did you ever get them to stop picking on you?”

“I suppose you could describe the situation that way, yes.”

“What did you do?”

“I finished school and eventually left the country.” Killian stared at Jean blankly. “Does that help you with your problem?”

“Yeah” Jean said sarcastically. “Thanks.”

Jean closed the door and started walking through the school gate, Natsumi having disappeared from view. From behind, he could hear the sound of a car window rolling down.

“You’re welcome!” Killian called after him.

* * *

By lunchtime, the first-years of Shujin Academy were all in a buzz. Today had been the beginning of their Sexual Education program. Naturally, talking about sex in a school environment had an impact on the students, with reactions ranging from giddy to fearful to disinterested. As Jean sat down with his friends in the cafeteria, he found himself in the disinterest camp. He’d already learned all of this stuff from books a long time ago, so the specifics of childbirth weren’t exactly thrilling to him anymore.

As his friends gabbed about STDs along with some crass speculation about who among their peers was most likely to have one, Jean’s eye wandered around the cafeteria until it fell on the table where Natsumi’s gang usually liked to eat. Unsurprisingly, the girls were pretty rowdy, laughing and shoving each other. What was a surprise was Natsumi herself, who seemed deflated and wasn’t participating in the conversation. After a minute of her friends gabbing, she got up from the table and left the cafeteria.

Jean, for reasons he himself wasn’t quite sure of, decided to follow her.

Natsumi moved at a brisk pace through the hallways (it helped that people tended to give her a wide berth), and Jean tried his best to keep up, though at some point he lost her as she went up the stairs. Still, it wasn’t hard to guess where she was going, and sure enough, when Jean reached the door to the rooftop, he could see Natsumi’s back through the little window in it.

“Hey,” Jean said as he stepped out onto the roof, “are you alright?”

“Huh?” Natsumi looked over her shoulder. “What’re you doin’ up here? This place is off-limits.”

“You’re up here.”

“Yeah, but I don’t care about breakin’ rules.” Natsumi smirked. “You’re like, a goody-two-shoes nerd. Sure you’re not gonna piss yourself up here?”

“You’re dodging my question.” Jean took a few steps towards Natsumi. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seemed upset just now. You left your friends at lunch and came up here.”

“Oh, that.” Natsumi turned to face Jean, crossing her arms. “Yeah, I just needed to get away from all the sex talk. Sex ed’s got me thinkin’ about some stuff I don’t wanna think about, and everyone gabbin’ about it ain’t helpin’.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Y’know…” Natsumi turned her head away. “Stuff.”

“Like what?”

Natsumi didn’t give Jean an answer. She stared off into the distance, tapping her foot as her expression became more annoyed by the second. Her cheeks began to turn red.

“Natsumi…” Jean’s eyes widened. “You aren’t already having-“

“EW! NO!” Natsumi glared at Jean. “It’s my folks, okay!?”

“What about them?”

“Like, I’ve known where babies come from for years now, and I know how sex works, but going into detail about the whole process makes me think about how my parents did it to have me and Yoshio.” Natsumi spat on the ground. “It’s gross.”

“Is that all?” Jean snickered. “Everybody’s parents have sex, Natsumi. That’s where people come from. It’s not gross, it’s part of nature.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re a test tube baby.”

“I’m not a test tube baby, Natsumi.” Jean rolled his eyes. “I’m the result of artificial insemination.”

“Exactly. That uses a tube.”

“That’s not what- Never mind.” Jean sighed. “Alright. Fair point. My moms didn’t create me the normal way. But I know for a fact that they have a sex life.”

“Oh, come on!” Natsumi closed her eyes and shook her head violently. “I don’t wanna hear about that either! Those’re my aunts you’re talkin’ about!”

“It’s a physical expression of love. It’s perfectly normal.”

“Maybe to a weirdo like you. But I get skeezed out just seein’ my mom and dad kiss. I don’t wanna think about ‘em doin’ THAT, even if it is why I’m here.”

“Uh-huh…” The wheels in Jean’s head started turning. “Are you sure it’s not for a different reason?”

“Like what?”

“Well, when’s your birthday?”

“April 3rd.”

“And when’s your dad’s birthday?”

“July 3rd.”

“And how many months earlier is that?”

“Uh…” Natsumi started counting on her fingers as she mentally cycled through the months of the calendar. “Nine, I think?”

“And how long does a pregnancy last?”

“Nine months.”

“So…”

Jean could see Natsumi’s entire thought process playing out through facial expressions alone. First there was nothing, her usual resting face. Then an eyebrow raised as she had the dimmest spark of realization that there was some kind of point in what Jean was saying. Then her eyes trailed off to the side as she tried to put the pieces together. Then her eyes widened, and a massive frown formed. And then her eyes scrunched up as she finally spoke.

“EWWWWWWW!” Natsumi started violently shaking her head again. “EW EW EW EW EW!”

Jean couldn’t stop the smile that had formed on his face. Originally he had come up to the roof to comfort Natsumi, thinking something serious was going on, and instead he’d discovered an unexpected squeamish side to the girl who’d been tormenting him all his life. Natsumi ran past Jean, heading back inside the school as she tried to get the revelation out of her head, and although it might have been wrong, Jean felt strangely good about the way things had played out.

* * *

“LOOK ALIVE, POINDEXTER!”

Natsumi had jumped Jean on the running path in the park, knocking him to the ground and getting him in a Reverse Boston Crab. As he tried to wriggle his legs free, she proceeded with one of her old tirades.

“See, if you weren’t such a wimp, this wouldn’t be a problem!” Natsumi gave Jean’s legs an extra tug. “You’re a celebrity’s kid! What if somebody tries to get to your mom by kidnapping you? If you want, I can teach you how to fight back against this kind of thing!”

“I’ve told you a hundred times, Natsumi, I’m not interested in learning how to fight! Now let me-“ An idea occurred to Jean as he pounded his fists against the ground. It wasn’t a particularly nice idea, but given the current circumstances, Jean wasn’t particularly concerned with being nice. “Actually, I do have a question about this hold.”

“Yeah?” Natsumi leaned forward, pulling Jean’s legs even harder. “Whaddya wanna know?”

“Do you think your parents were in a position like this on your dad’s birthday?”

“Dad’s birthday? What’re you…” Natsumi drifted off as the image formed in her head. She immediately leg go of Jean’s legs and jumped back. “OH, DAMN IT! NOW I GOTTA GO WASH MY BRAIN!”

* * *

This became the new pattern for a while. No matter how many times Natsumi jumped Jean, she never seemed to learn, and he was quickly able to get her to stop by making some kind of inappropriate comment about her mom and dad. Sometimes, if he was quick enough, he could stop her right before she grabbed him by humming “Happy Birthday” or holding up a pamphlet about human reproduction that had been handed out in school. For somebody Jean had always believed to be completely without reservations, Natsumi was amazingly childish about the subject of sex in general, even if Jean wasn’t invoking the image of Ryuji and Hifumi in the act.

Of course, Jean had the decency not to do this if Natsumi wasn’t attacking him, so if she was with her friends or their families were spending time together, life went on as usual. And then school was on break, and Yoshio came home from college. The Sakamotos and Takamakis had gotten together for dinner, and Yoshio broke out into laughter upon seeing Jean for the first time in half a year.

“Dude, what is with that scruff?” Yoshio pointed to the stubble growing out of Jean’s chin.

“What do you mean?” Jean rubbed his chin. “I’m growing a beard.”

“If you can call it that” Natsumi said. “He got all excited ‘cuz he was finally growing facial hair. But that’s all he’s got after like four months.”

“Yikes.” Yoshio winced. “You really oughta just keep it clean ’til it starts growin’ in thicker.”

“Mom says it makes me look handsome” Jean said.

“She’s bein’ nice, dude.” Yoshio shook his head. “If you don’t know how, I can show you how to shave.”

“Take him up on his offer, Jean” Natsumi said. “You look ridiculous.”

“You’re one to talk!” Yoshio turned to Natsumi. “What’s up with the cotton candy hair? Blonde not different enough for ya!?”

“I like my hair!” Natsumi protested. “Why do you care so much about how we look anyway!?”

“Who knows?” Yoshio shrugged and took out his phone, going through some old photos. “Maybe I’m just gettin’ nostalgic in my old age-“

“You’re 21” Jean and Natsumi said in unison.

“But I guess my mental picture of you two is the cute little squirts you used to be.” Yoshio showed his phone’s screen to the teens, revealing an old photo from when they were little of them and Ren and Makoto’s kids on the beach, building a sandcastle. “It feels like yesterday I was tryin’ to trick you into thinkin’ land sharks were a thing. Where does the time go?”

“Blech.” Natsumi stuck her tongue out. “Hate to break it to you bro, but you need your head checked if you think I look anything like that now. I only wore that bow ‘cuz Mom and Dad thought it looked cute, and I gave up tryin’ to be cute years ago.”

Jean knew he shouldn’t say it. The second the thought formed in his head he knew he shouldn’t say it.

But it was just too good a zinger to pass up.

“Really? I always thought you wore one because you were your dad’s birthday present.”

Jean looked at Natsumi with a cheeky grin, expecting her to be sporting a huge grimace while pulling on her own hair. Instead, the only part of her that he could see was her fist as it drove directly into his eye.

Jean hit the floor, and by the time the world had come back into focus, Natsumi was already off shrieking in the distance and his eye was throbbing in pain.

“Holy shit!” Yoshio came into view, leaning over Jean. “Are you ok, dude!?”

“Not really” Jean said weakly. “But I think I might have deserved that, actually. Took it way too far this time.”

“Took what too far?”

“It’s a long story.” Jean went to rub his eye, letting out a hiss of pain as he realized his mistake. “Grab me a cold pack and I’ll give you the details.”

**Author's Note:**

> Been a hot minute since I posted something. I was trying to write a chapter 3 to "As You Wish, Takamaki-San" for a while but nothing was really flowing, so here's something else I've really been wanting to write.
> 
> And no this is not my way of implying these two are going to be a couple so don't go getting any ideas.


End file.
